Saint Patrick in History
Saint Patrick’s Day wouldn’t have come into being without the help of the holy man himself, and without doubt Saint Patrick is one of the more colourful saints.
Saint Patrick lived in the mid to late fifth century; modestly self-described in his spiritual autobiography the Confessio as a “most humble-minded man”, he was snatched at the age of 16 by British raiders from his home village of Bannaven Taberniae (possibly in Cumbria) and sold into bondage to a chief named Milchu.
After six years tending sheep and swine on the slopes of the Slemish mountain in Antrim, he turned to God. When he finally managed to escape back home, he had a vision of a man holding letters and heard the voices of the Irish people imploring him to return.
He did so, and over the next thirty years launched a successful mission in which he was said to have rid Ireland of snakes (a symbolism of paganism since they were probably never there in the first place), explained the mysteries of the Holy Trinity with a three-leaved shamrock to the king at Tara, and baptized and ordained thousands of clerics with the result that Ireland was the only country in western Europe whose conversion to Christianity was achieved without martyrdom.
It is believed that Saint Patrick died on March 17th 460 AD either at Glastonbury in England or Saul, Downpatrick, in Ireland, where his jawbone was preserved in a silver shrine and the anniversary of his death came to be celebrated as a feast day.
Celebrating St Patrick’s Day
Saint Patrick’s Day – or Paddy’s Day as it’s fondly known – became a National Holiday of Ireland, Bank Holiday in Northern Ireland and Public Holiday in the Irish Republic in 1903, though it had been celebrated for many years.
It is also a day for religious observance, for attending mass, spiritual renewal and offering prayers for missionaries worldwide, being first placed on the liturgical calendar in the Catholic Church in the early 17th century: to more secular folk, Saint Patrick’s Day is better known for its parades in major cities like Dublin, Belfast, New York, London and Sydney, with marching bands, elaborate floats, Irish dancing, street theatre and a carnival atmosphere.
In some towns even the rivers are dyed green!
In the hundreds of Irish pubs throughout the world, Irish and non-Irish alike can enjoy the craic when there’ll be shenanigans galore with much “wearing of the green”, imbibing of Guinness and Irish whiskey, Irish-themed food, toe-tapping music, a convivial atmosphere, and a helping of good old Irish blarney.
Saint Patrick’s Day: 17 March 2010
To be sure, there’s not many saints’ days on the liturgical calendar that offer such an opportunity to make merry, and on Saint Patrick’s Day you’ll find roughly 70 million Irish emigrants and their descendants uniting in cities across the world to celebrate the notion of being Irish.
Of course there’ll be no festivity as great as the one in the Emerald Isle itself, where shamrocks will be worn on lapels or caps, green, white and orange badges sported, girls will wear green in their hair and copious amounts of Guinness will flow because as all Irish know:
“In heaven there is no beer, That’s why we drink ours here”.
St Patrick’s Day
The first Saint Patrick’s Day parade was held in the Irish Free State in Dublin in 1931.
In mid 1992 a campaign was begun to use Saint Patrick’s Day as a festival to promote Ireland throughout the world. Each year, members of the Irish Taoisigh (government) travel to the White House to present a shamrock to the president of the United States of America.
In Northern Ireland, although the day was originally seen as a Republican festivity, the flag of Saint Patrick is flown as a symbol of equality, and offers an opportunity for unionists and nationalists to come together and celebrate their common identity.
And as the Gaelic saying goes: Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig – may you have all the blessings of Saint Patrick’s Day and the “luck of the Irish”.
Who knows, if you’re very lucky indeed, you may even see a leprechaun!
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